System for feeding and controlling low intensity obstruction lights

Abstract

A system for feeding and controlling low intensity obstruction lights, involving low power drain especially in radio stations powered by solar cells includes: a sub-system which not only generates the energy necessary to feed the obstruction light, but also detects solar intensity; a control sub-system which delivers energy to the obstruction lights, triggered in correspondence to a light threshold, generates indicator signals on the operating state of the main on/off switch and the power circuit breaker and generates a lamp failure control for telemetering purposes and fault controls for the individual obstruction lights for local displaying purposes; and a low luminous intensity and low power drain lighting sub-system. The installation to actuate the system described includes: an electrical energy distributor powered by solar cells and respective batteries via a regulator, a light sensor, a sub-rack equipped with a control module and a switch-over module for each light; 2-filament lamps with lenticular light globe of the oriented Fresnel prisms type.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for controlling and supplying electrical power to obstruction lights, comprising: (a) a solar energy generator subsystem for generating low voltage DC electricity from sunlight and for detecting the intensity of said sunlight;   (b) a control subsystem coupled between said solar energy generator subsystem and said obstruction lights, comprising: (i) a threshold detector and on/off switch for delivering said low voltage DC electricity to said obstruction lights when the intensity of the detected sunlight falls below a predetermined threshold; and   (ii) circuitry for generating an indicator signal representing the status of said on/off switch and for generating lamp failure control signals for local signalling and telemetering purposes; and     (c) a low luminous intensity, lower power consumption lighting sub-system comprising said obstruction lights, each of said obstruction lights comprising a two-filament incandescent lamp with a primary filament which is active under normal conditions and a reserve filament which is active when said primary filament burns out, both filaments being identical.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electricity distribution system which receives DC electricity from said solar energy generator or from a battery charged with electricity from said solar energy generator, and supplies electricity to said control subsystem for powering said obstruction lights. 
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a solid state, DC powered, switchover module associated with each obstruction light for activating the reserve filament in the obstruction light when the primary filament burns out. 
     
     
       4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a rectifier module for converting externally supplied AC power into DC power for use in powering said obstruction light in lieu of said DC electricity from said solar energy generator or from said battery. 
     
     
       5. The system of claim 1, further comprising voltage spike protection circuitry between said control subsystem and said indicator lights. 
     
     
       6. The system of claim 1, wherein a lenticular light globe with oriented Fresnel prisms is used with said lamp filaments, such that the illumination from said lamps is emitted over 360 degrees.